Reviewers consistently praise Darbar for meticulously crafted flavors and dishes that feel both authentic and thoughtfully modern, from butter chicken and dal makhni to nihari, murg malai, seekh kebabs, and a variety of naans, all prepared from scratch with fresh ingredients. The atmosphere is described as intimate and cozy, with warm, attentive service and a welcoming, family run vibe, and the chef often greets tables to discuss the menu and tailor dishes to spice tolerance and dietary needs, including gluten free and vegan options. The dining experience is frequently complemented by personal touches such as table conversations, seasonal recommendations, and occasional live jazz or a refined beverage program, making it a strong choice for dates and gatherings alike. Many reviews call it a hidden gem and among the top Indian eateries in Montreal, noting high consistency over years and a sense of warmth that balances flavor, presentation, and value. While most responses are glowing, a few criticisms surface regarding occasional slower service, smaller portions relative to price, or limited vegetarian options on some menus, yet these do not substantially dampen the overall impression of a special, chef led dining experience.
Hands-down one of the most wonderful dining experiences & most delicious Punjabi food. Chef Simar came out to chat with us sharing in-depth about the menu, the creation of his seasonal menus, & made recommendations based on what we said as our taste preferences. He made a special batch of gluten free naan that he named as "not yet perfected & not ready to be on the menu". It was a great addition to the meal. The food had an incredibly special vibrance of flavor. A must visit!
I am visiting Montréal for work & was looking for a good Punjabi/Indian food! Ate vegetarian thali at Darbar today! A sumptuous meal with a portion each of dal makhani, saag paneer & baigan bharta (went with the server's recommendations), along with butter naan & basmati rice & a couple of veg pakoras! Was my only meal for the day, so ordered a lachha parantha as well. Everything was absolutely delicious! Authentic North Indian flavors! Simar who runs the restaurant (& is the chef) was very gracious, welcoming & super friendly! He runs this business as a passion which was clearly evident in the food flavors! Maza aa gaya yaara! Will definitely come back next time I am around!
Oct 9, 2024
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One of the best Indian restaurants around (probably the best in Montreal). My family & I ate here last night & everything we ordered was delicious, authentic, & spiced exactly according to your taste. Love the ambiance & decorations (like a place court, as reflected by the name Darbar). Great cocktails & the best mango lassi I can remember having, ever! We started with the Samosa Pakoray then went with the saag Gosht, shahi paneer, Bhindi Bhaji, Chole Buturay, butter naan & onion kulcha, & veg biryani. Everything was great! The chef personally came out to the table to welcome us & manage our experience throughout the night. As a family owned restaurant, they really seemed committed to having each guest have a wonderful experience from start to finish. & the best part on top of the great food was how affordable it was for a family of 4! With inflation & prices going crazy everywhere, this place is a rare exception where you get high quality, authentic, high class food at a reasonable price. Great food, ambiance, price & most importantly, great people. As I'm from New York & have experienced an eclectic & wide variety of Indian food, this place ranks as one of the best without a doubt!
Darbar, c'est un voyage culinaire en Inde, riche en saveurs & en sensations fortes ! Premier date avec mon mec, moi en mode'je gère les épices, no problemo'. Alors là, dès la première bouchée, BAM ! Le volcan en éruption ! J'avais l'impression d'avoir léché le soleil. La goutte au front, l'alarme incendie prête à se déclencher à cause de la vapeur qui s'échappait de mes oreilles. & pendant ce temps-là, mon copain ? Le nirvana ! Il était en train de communier avec Shiva & les épices, genre il les connaissait tous personnellement. Il m'a regardé comme si j'étais un enfant qui goûte à la moutarde pour la première fois. Moi, je luttais pour ma survie avec un grand sourire figé, j'ai failli pleurer dans mon naan. Deuxième fois, on décide de faire les choses'à l'indienne', assis par terre. Sauf que là, surprise ! Lui, en mode contorsionniste, les jambes derrière la tête, genre'Regarde, je suis un croissant'. Moi, par contre, j'étais plié comme une chaise de camping. En vrai, un poteau électrique a plus de flexibilité que moi. Les jambes engourdies en moins de dix minutes, & chaque bouchée devenait une épreuve d'équilibre. Mon copain rigolait en voyant mes tentatives désespérées pour rester assis sans tomber en avant. Ça m'a pris trois jours pour m'en remettre. Mais bon, faut avouer, leur butter chicken, c'est de la bombe, ça valait bien une séance de kiné après. & le curry d'agneau... mon dieu ! T'as l'impression que ton palais danse le Bharatanatyam. Mais le clou du spectacle, c'est la variété ! Chaque plat, c'est une surprise. Tu te demandes si cette fois tu vas te transformer en dragon ou simplement fondre de plaisir. & le personnel ? Adorables, ils te regardent avec ce sourire complice genre'Oui, tu as sous-estimé nos épices, jeune padawan.' Franchement, c'est le paradis des papilles & l'enfer des amateurs de positions de yoga. & je vais le dire direct : c'est parfait, rien à redire ! Le service, l'ambiance, la bouffe... 5 étoiles partout, les yeux fermés ! Juste un conseil d'ami : si t'es aussi souple qu'un parpaing & que ton seuil de tolérance aux épices s'arrête au paprika, prévois une table, beaucoup d'eau, & peut-être une médaille de bravoure à la sortie !
Hi - I came from Toronto to Montreal with my parents who had come from India. Wanted to treat them to the best Indian place in Montreal & hence chose Darbar. I had done some reading on Darbar in my quest to find a nice place for Indian dining & was pretty impressed by what I read on the exec chef / owner's hospitality & his background story about parents. The food was good; loved the shahi paneer & butter naan(softest i have had ever); & of course the rasmalai. The garlic naan was a miss. The food is cooked fresh after ordering & takes time which is told at the time of ordering itself. We had also ordered aloo go hi , dal fry & sweet lassi which were good. Because I had told everyone in my family about the stories & posts I have read about the owner & seeing that they went & interacted with every table except ours was pretty awkward & embarrassing. My husband was just asked from afar how the food was but for each table while we were seated ; the owner went & chatted up, explained the dishes & made the guests feel comfortable. Even though the food was good; this experience left a sour taste.
Bon, mais sans plus. Trop cher. Mon plat (26$) & celui de Mon mari n'étaient pas servis avec du naan ou du Riz, c'est peu apprécié car ça ajoute Sur la facture. Ils n'avaient plus ce que j'ai commandé & au lieu de me le dire, ils ont juste changé la viande (je ne voulais pas la meme viande que Mon mari, pour Qu'on partage) Mais vu le temps qui avançait, j'ai pris ce qu'ils m'ont donné & m'ont chargé le même prix meme si le mien était plus cher à la base. Bon, chaleureux, Mais trop cher pour ce que j'ai mangé. Entré très bonne par contre (j'aurais pris plus de sauce!)
Jul 20, 2024
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3hours for food, Yes, that right, we were there for 3 hours. 8ish-9:30 waiting in the line, because we didn't reserve the table, but even if we had, I am sure it wont have made that big of difference. Anyways, now we are on the table & waiting for the order, we gave order after 15 minutes of getting the table, got our drinks in another 20 minutes, & then we get the food in exactly in another 30 minutes. We were with kids, & it's not worth the wait at all. Family behind us, we talked & they had the same reaction, the long wait. Now comes the food, i am comparing it with what we get in Ottawa, not even close in terms of taste, Paneer softness or, quality of rice, naan. Local Canadian may like the food as the review says, because they don't expect it to be authentic.
I enjoyed my food & drink at Darbar. I really enjoyed the fact that the head chef is out & about. The head chef was actually the person who took our orders & gave his personal recommendations. I didn't like that when the chef was taking our order, he was very excited to tell us the types of naan (& make recommendations) but he doesn't mention that the naan costs $6(or $8) extra. So when I got hit with an $8 naan charge, I felt blindsided & a bit taken advantage of. I would've gotten the rice with my butter chicken instead. I also didn't love the time it took to be served, but I think that's more a personal thing. I'm sure some people love the time between dishes to give time to schmooze, but I was antsy by the time the main course came. It took over an hour after the appetizers to get the mains. Overall, I don't have any complaints about the food itself, I just feel like it was expensive for what it was. I think it I had known about the naan I would've done things differently & been a happier customer. Or at least I would've anticipated the charge. I complained & they took off $2, but I should've been more assertive about it. I didn't leave feeling good about it. I guess my feedback if the staff read this: when presenting the types of naan, mention the added costs. Specially if you get the impression someone is new.
A mixed experience overall. We ordered the garlic naan, butter chicken, lamb nihari & saag paneer with rice. The sauces for the curries were all very good & left a really strong first impression. Unfortunately both the meat & paneer were incredibly tough & overcooked. The lamb was mostly bones & fat, the chicken was cut too thin & was chewy, while the paneer was almost like overdone tofu. It's a shame because the flavours were all there but costs were cut with the main ingredients &, at $24 for an entree, the portion sizes didn't make up for it either. Overpriced as well to make matters worse. The mains should have been no more than $18 like most the other Indian restaurants in Montreal. While not pictured, I also have to call out their naan as the worst I've ever had at any Indian restaurant. It was thin, burnt & had the texture of overcooked pizza dough rather than naan. Finally, as a positive note, the service was incredibly warm & friendly when we both arrived & left. However, all the other reviews are correct that you'll never get a refill of water or any attendance during your meal unless you go out of your way to flag someone down. Warm atmosphere & I hope they're able to improve as the basics are there.
Apr 21, 2024
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Food is not authentic Indian food. Biryani had cherry tomatoes in it. Murg tikka masala tasted more like butter chicken . Garlic naan was like a store bought naan
My wife & I had a wonderful meal here on a recent trip to Montreal. The service was friendly & attentive. We each had a Thali but one vegetarian & one meat version to get a mix of curries that we shared. We really enjoyed their curries - spiced just so as to be not overpowering hot but enough that you could still taste individual spices & the food. That takes some skill to get that spicing right! Sides of samosas, naan & rice were very good. We liked the cumin seeds in the rice. Plates were attractively garnished with tasty pomegranate seeds & coriander. We tried their version of Shahi Tukra, a dessert we've never seen before, made in a puff pastry shell instead of ghee fried bread, with rosewater, cardamom, thickened sweetened milk & nuts & garnished with pomegranite seed. It was excellent!
I recently dined at this Indian food restaurant, & it was an absolutely delightful experience from start to finish! The ambiance was inviting, the staff was attentive & friendly, &, most importantly, the food was out of this world.
From the moment I took my first bite, I knew I was in for a treat. The flavors in every dish were rich, authentic, & bursting with spices that transported my taste buds straight to India. The menu had a fantastic variety of options to choose from, & each one I tried was a culinary masterpiece.
The butter chicken was creamy & flavorful, the biryani was fragrant & perfectly cooked, & the naan bread was soft & pillowy. I can’t forget to mention the mouthwatering delectable mango lassi, which were the perfect way to start & finish my meal.
The presentation of the dishes was also impressive, showing the care & attention to detail that the chefs put into their craft. The portion sizes were generous, ensuring that I left with a satisfied belly.
I can’t recommend this restaurant enough to anyone looking for an authentic Indian dining experience. Whether you’re a longtime fan of Indian cuisine or trying it for the first time, this place will exceed your expectations. I’ll definitely be returning soon for another unforgettable meal!
Stunning. The patio section created the perfect ambiance for eating al fresco on a warm summer evening. The staff, including the chef, was exceptional & very personable. All the food was made fresh upon our order & you could taste the difference. Best Chicken Tikka Masala
(& garlic naan) I have ever eaten. I can't wait for my next visit to Montreal so I can get another meal at Darbar.
La nourriture était excellente & remplie de saveurs!! Première expérience à ce restaurant car nous habitons à Québec & nous voulions découvrir un nouvel endroit. Le pain naan était encore chaud & moelleux. Nous avons pris les samosas en entrée qui étaient parfaitement équilibré & la sauce piquante était au choix. Nous avons choisi le thali qui est une combinaison de pain naan, riz, poulet tandoori, poulet au cari & légumes au choix du jour. Chaque tapas était épicé différemment. Le personnel était courtois, ricaneux & gentil, même le chef/propriétaire est venu vérifier si nous avions aimé notre repas. Les prix etaient plus que raisonnables pour la quantité. Assurément nous reviendrons souper ici, quelle belle découverte! Merci pour ce bon repas!
Love Darbar. The food is always great. the naans are thick & fluffy & delicious. not too oily, which i love. The head chef came out to introduce himself, he seems to really put his all into this restaurant. What i like is that the waiters do not seem to have specific tables, so you are almost cared for by every waiter, which is super convenient. Love this place. If it wasn't a bit on the pricey side i would be here every week.
It was VERY overpriced - $8 for naan. Won't be back after this time. Before it was a nice place & that's why I went there multiple times. Also please don't ask customers 8 times "how's the food" during an hour.
